The need of personal information management has become increasingly important to busy-life users of personal computers. The recent development of hand-held PC's and portable digital organizers clearly indicates that the trend is towards bringing personal information closer to the user. To meet this requirement several vendors offer different kinds of devices such as digital planners, digital personal organizers, electronic calenders etc.
The Timex Data Link of Timex Corporation, disclosed in The Timex Data Link Users Guide, 1994, comprises a watch that can store different kinds of information that are supplied by an application on a PC (Personal Computer). The information is transferred by light signals from the PC screen to the watch. Thus, the information transfer is one way only. The Timex Data Link has the ability to store appointments, anniversaries, phone numbers and tasks. Further, it has alarms, a stop watch an it provides the time in two time zones. The Timex is updated from a PC running the program Shedule+ under Microsoft Windows. In Schedule+ there is a button that transfers data to the Timex by letting the screen flicker while the user holds the watch in front of the screen. The light from the flickering screen is registered by the Timex and inter preted as data. The update takes about one minute depending on the amount of data transferred. Before the transfer the user has to choose data to be transfered, since the space is limited in the watch. The transfer is not incremental, hence, all information is transferred every time.
The CASIO VDB-200B, Ketonic AB, Winlof & Co, 1996, is a watch with the ability to store telephone numbers and other personal information. Further, the DB-200 provides for basic clock functions such as stop watch, timer alarm and a telememo function. However, the watch has no abilities whatsoever to synchronize with other products such as PCs.
Another product from Casio is the CASIO DBC-310, Back i Backen AB/Cebes Prod. Akersberga, 1996. It is a wrist-worn watch, which in addition to conventional clock functions has the capability to store phone numbers and appointments. It also has a built-in calculator. This watch is not provided with any means or functions enabling synchronization with any other information source.
Experience has shown that if the information updating requires user action the user just updates information for a couple of weeks and then it stops.
The Palm pilot from U.S. Robotics is a product that works close together with a PC PIM application. It is a small computer-like device with a relatively large touch sensitive screen. It synchronizes with a PIM application after it has been put in a docking station connected to a computer.
Another device is REX of Rolodex, a PC card equipped with a screen and buttons. The REX synchronizes with the PIM application after it has been inserted into the PC card slot.